Too Late
by XMegalotrousleX
Summary: What happens if Natsu wasn't able to reach the doll in time? What if Fairy Tail had lost a member that day? Death fic for what could of happened on Tenrou if Natsu could not reach Mr. Cursey. AU. One-shot. M just to be safe. NOW WITH A PART II BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME! And yes, I think it's just as sad as Part I, but in a different way. More . . . nostalgic, I suppose. R&R!
1. Part I: Pilot

**While you impatient people impatiently wait for my permanent story to come out, I whipped up a little one- shot. I may do this once a month until all my stories are done.**

**I'm going off memory here so I'm sorry if this isn't completely word for word.**

**Edit: 3/30/15**

Not Enough

The One and Only Chapter

Natsu, currently buried under a pile of large rocks, was struggling to get out, wiggling and twisting and threatening the rocks.

Lucy stared at his predicament, quickly pulling out Virgo's key. She opened her mouth to hurriedly recite the incantation, but froze with a horrified look on her face. "I'm out of magic," she whispered hoarsely, voice cracking. A sudden presence behind her suddenly kicked her down, knocking the breath out of the Celestial Mage, and earning a cry from all three Fairy Tail mages.

Happy dove down, declaring how he was going to save them. At least until he was knocked into a tree by Kain Hikaru's meaty fist. "Happy!" Lucy and Natsu cried, worried for the blue neko.

"I'm sorry Natsu, Lucy!" He cried crocodile tears as he slowly slid down the trunk of the tree.

Happy was down for the count.

Natsu hurriedly turned his attention back to the blonde as Kain stomped down on her back, earning another pained cry from her. "Lucy, go!" The pinkette cried, struggling even harder."I'll handle him somehow. Just go!"

"No," she whispered as Kain grabbed her head and lifted her up. The blonde looked up at Natsu with one of her bright smiles._ How can she smile so bright at a time like this?_ Natsu wondered vaguely as he stared horrified at the stubborn girl. "Why would I run away by myself?" She smiles brighter, if possible."It's always more fun when we're together!" Natsu felt tears rush to his eyes as he saw her get raised higher by the Grimoire Heart member. And he couldn't do a damn thing!

"You have no idea how cruel I can be. Nobody will see your pretty face ever again!" Kain slowly squeezes on Lucy's head, his vice like grip getting stronger, eliciting a pained gasp from Lucy. She squirms under his grip, trying to get out no matter how futile.

Natsu looks down, his attention captured by the tiny burlap doll by him. He chuckles evilly as he reaches for it, thinking of ways to defeat Kain while embarrassing the hell out of the blonde 'weirdo' as he so calls her. His heart stopped in his chest as his fingers came an inch short, so close to that doll that could be the life or the death of his best friend. This terror was worse than when Igneel left, worse than when Lisanna 'died', worse than being trapped in Genesis Zero, worse than hearing Lucy was going to be killed in Edolas. He would see this. But… he didn't want to. So he stretched himself further, further than he had ever reached before. His fingertip, touching the arm of it. Time slowed down as he pushed his body further, further, he almost had it, almost.

With one last push and a pained grunt, he grabbed the doll and pulled it back to him. He reached for the dolls leg, ready to deliver a doll Lucy Kick, but…

No, no, no, no, no_, no, no, no, no, no, no, NO!_

He watched mortified, frozen, delirious, as Kain stated how tired he was of going slowly, and then… so much _blood. _She hit the ground with a wet thud. Her horrified eyes and her screaming out for him would be branded in his mind for eternity.

_Your fault._

Blood on Kain's hand, his face, his body. It was all over Natsu, too much blood, his mind shut down briefly, only to start up again. Furious was the only word in his head, bouncing around, echoing. Scales appeared on his face, arms, legs, and he roared. The rocks blew off from the force of the inferno, some melting, and some just crumbling into ashes. Natsu roared once again, stepping towards the dark mage. His obsidian eyes had a murderous intent in them.

Kain, getting the message, ran off before Natsu could kill him, shouting 'woo-wee!'

"Natsu," a small voice called out to him.

"N- Na- Natsu…" Happy called out once again, bawling his eyes out.

He turned around, regretting it immediately.

The stench, oh Gods the stench. He quickly turned around to empty the content of his stomach, hot tears running down his face, bile was the only thing he could taste.

"Come on Lushe! I once saw-" he paused to sob. It was heartbreaking to see the cute little Happy break down like this."I saw a chicken running around without a head once, Lushe. You're a weirdo so I bet you could do it, too!" Natsu couldn't bring himself to tell the Exceed that she wasn't going to get up and walk. She wouldn't get mad at Happy, because she wouldn't be there for him to tease her. No more missions with her. No more weird spirits to watch her summon. No more… Lucy. And that was hardest to accept for Natsu. Lucy was the essence of Fairy Tail… she _had_ to be alive. She was the only one who remembered to make fire pancakes for him, and to buy extra hot sauce for when he came over. She always had a whole fridge dedicated to fish _exclusively _for Happy and Happy only. For him, life without Lucy would be lonely… pointless in a way. "Lushe, come on… this wouldn't k-kill you…" Happy starts back up again, now just recklessly babbling."I mean… we got that Titan Nose dude… and you helped us defeat a Vulcan! And… and we beat that creepy mustache guy and you got that weird maid key thing. And we… we destroyed the entire Eisenwald guild together and we beat those dark monsters on the way back and we tried to eat them and you defeated that Sherry girl and those other people and Juvia and Gajeel and Loke was a celestial spirit and we got those weird dudes in the tower thingy and Bickslow and that Naked Mummy guild in Acalypha and Oración Seis with that Angel girl and Wendy joined and you got that scorpion those blue twins and Aries and we won against that weird dragon girl's lizard things and the dragon she made with Natsu as the power source and those royal guards in Edolas and Hughes and Sugarboy and Byro and we came here cause Cana is your partner and you beat Freed and Bixlow and Capricorn and you got his key and then… and then…*sob* Come on Lushe! I'm sorry! I'm sorry I call you fat, because you're not! You're really nice and I was going to get you something for Mother's Day! I'm sorry I couldn't help! I'm sorry I couldn't have helped you! To be honest, I'd rather of had this happen to me than you… I want to take your place… I- I love you, Lushe!" The poor blue Exceed sank down to his bottom and cried, and cried, and cried.

"Happy…" Natsu started.

A loud boom interrupted them, and they watched as the smoke from the nearly destroyed airship wafted into the air. They had won yet… Natsu felt like they didn't win anything. Nothing at all.

And then he started thinking. Lucy was practically the heart and essence of Fairy Tail. She wouldn't- no- couldn't die. This was a dream, or maybe a prank. A cruel, cruel prank. "Only Ice Princess would…" he muttered.

And with that in mind, he carefully scooped up Lucy's body, arms under her back and knees. "Natsu, what are you doing with Lushe?"

"To the base camp! I bet Wendy could heal her!" Happy frowned, not because he had already accepted that Lucy wasn't coming back, but because he saw the hysteria, the need for Lucy to be alive, in Natsu's onyx eyes. But for Natsu, he would try.

"Of course Natsu!" He cheered with fake happiness."Wendy could heal her." Natsu nodded feverishly, needing it to be true.

Base Camp

"Role Call!" Mira shouted out." Levy!"

"Here!"

"Gajeel!"

"Hmph."

"Freed!"

"Present."

"Bixlow!"

"I'm here!"

"Evergreen!"

"Here!"

"Elfman!"

"Being here is man!"

"Uh, Juvia!"

"Juvia is present."

"Lisanna!"

"Here, Mira-nee!"

"Gray!"

"Here!"

"Erza!"

"I'm here."

"Gildarts!"

"Here!"

"Cana!"

"Mmhmm!"

"Pantherlily!"

"Present!"

"Carla!"

"Here."

"Wendy!"

"Um… I'm here!"

"Master!"

"Here!"

"Laxus!"

"I'm here."

"Natsu!"

Nothing.

"Happy!"

Still nothing.

"Uh… Lucy?"

Quiet.

"Where could they b-"

Mira was cut off at Lisanna's shout of, 'I see Happy!'

"Where?!" Mira shouted, dead serious.

Lisanna quickly pointed to her right, where everyone vaguely saw the shape of a depressed Happy flying towards them. Within a minute, Happy was standing in front of the crowd, 'what happened' seemed to be the main question. Happy was always happy. It was his trademark.

"Quiet!" Mira roared, her Satan Soul aura emanating from her, quieting everyone, including Laxus, who paled slightly."Continue, Happy."

"Well… uh, Natsu is coming and… how do I word this?" He whispered. The dragon slayers were confused by his last words, being the only ones to hear.

"He's holding on to a false hope, and when he comes back, he won't be the same Natsu we all know, ever again. He may not even want to fight anymore, or he may want to fight even more. I don't know. But p- prepare yourselves."

Happy looked up at the dragon slayers and motion them over to a corner of the camp, out of earshot.

Everyone was surprised, seeing Happy acting so… mature.

Gajeel, Wendy and Laxus glanced at each other, then at Happy, and walked over.

"You'll probably figure it out before anyone else so I might as well tell you the entire story, shortened though." Happy put a paw on his chin, thinking. A tear slipped down his face and he hastily wiped it away."When Natsu asks the question, say yes. Try and make him feel that something could have been done."

"What ques-"Wendy was interrupted by Happy.

"Hold on, I need to get the story out real quick… and you'll figure out the question soon. Try to hold your breath though…"he breathed in slowly."So we were fighting this one chick, when Lucy suddenly falls from the sky while this Grimoire Heart member gets kicked in the face by Natsu. The chick leaves, making us fight the fat dude. He used some kind of doll magic that when a hair is put in, you can control that person. He was controlling Lucy, until we beat him. But Natsu had been buried under a pile of rocks and couldn't get out. Lucy was going to call out Virgo, but she had no magic left. The dude we had thought we beat came out of nowhere and kicked her down. I tried to help, but he hit me into a tree and it hurt so bad I couldn't move for a bit. So I watched. The dude, Kain, I think, started stomping on her back and so Natsu told her to run away and that he would handle it somehow. Kain picked her up by the head as she said no, and that it was more fun when they were together. Kain said something and started to do… something. His back was facing me. I saw Natsu laugh creepily and reach for the doll, cause it still had Lucy's hair in it. I think he was going to do a Lucy Kick with it. But his finger stopped an inch away from the doll and I think both our hearts stopped. He started reaching further and further, further than a body should go in my opinion. He finally reached it and pulled it closer to him, grabbing its leg to do a Lucy Kick I presume. Right as he was about to do it though, Lucy screamed his name and then… there was _so much blood._ I had finally gained enough strength to drag myself closer. Natsu went into Dragon Force and scared the dude off. I was horrified by what I saw and started babbling. I told Lucy that I had seen a chicken run around without a head once but…"

The dragon slayers gasped, mortified. They were all crying, getting worried glances thrown at them by the others in the camp.

"Bunny-girl…"

"Lucy-san…"

"Blondie…"

"He's going to ask me to heal her." It was a statement more than a question.

Happy nodded slightly, pursing his lips."He's freaking out, thinking that you can grow a head back. Delusional. I went along with it, to give him some hope."

"Why?" Gajeel asked."Then it would be more painful to hold onto that hope longer for it to be crushed suddenly."

Happy looked up, more serious than anyone had ever seen him.

"I just wanted to see Natsu happy one more time."

Timeskip: Five Minutes

The dragon slayers that were on alert suddenly smelt something akin to blood. A lot of it.

Wendy stood up solemnly, along with Laxus and Gajeel. "He's here."

Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared where the slayers were looking at, faintly seeing a mop of pink hair. _And red,_ some noted.

In about a minute, Natsu was close enough to see only up to his face, which was splattered in blood.

"What the…" Makarov began.

"Minna, please prepare yourself. And try to give him hope if you can. He's a bit… delusional, currently." All heads turned to Wendy, surprised at how grim she looked.

"Why?" Mira asked hesitantly.

"Lucy," Gajeel answered.

The heads turned to him, shocked at how he addressed her. And then it sank in.

"W-What ha-happened to L-Lucy?" Erza was trembling, eyes wide.

The four stayed silent.

"Wendy. Happy?" Carla prompted.

Said girl shook her head as Happy grimaced, not answering.

"Gajeel?" Pantherlily bit his lip.

Another shake of the head.

Mira bit out a frustrated sigh."Laxus!"

He stared down at her and slowly shook his head, sorrow laced in his eyes, hidden deep.

And then Natsu was a few meters from camp, staring pleadingly at Wendy. He had stopped walking, the foliage covering the middle of his body, but did nothing to hide the blood staining his head and legs.

The bluenette took a shaky breath, tears finding their way to her eyes as he trembling hand quickly pointed towards the closest clean cot. Gajeel and Laxus had their fist clenched at their sides as Natsu slowly made his way out of the woods.

Their eyes all fell on what he carried protectively in his arms and wailed, some already sobbing, some were just standing there, as if they couldn't believe something like this could happen.

"L-Lucy," Erza murmured, eyes wide, tears falling out of both eyes.

Mira was wailing on the ground, hands covering her eyes, as if she could stop hearing, stop… everything.

Lisanna was trying to comfort her sister, but it was a lost cause, considering Lisanna was sobbing too.

Elfman was staring at nothing, tears rolling down his face.

Juvia quietly whispered "Lucy," to herself as she comforted Gray.

Gray was on his knees, unashamedly bawling for his 'sister.'

Evergreen was hiding her face behind her fan, but her shoulders were shaking and you could hear her sobs.

Bixlow and his dolls were all drooped, a haunted look to the Seith mages eyes, having taken off his mask to cry freely.

Freed covered his face with his arm, shoulders bent slightly as he cried for the fallen Fairy Tail mage.

Levy was wailing as loud as Mira, the heel of her palms pressed into her eyes, as if trying to stop the tears from falling.

Makarov was bawling and sniffling, his black eyes wide and red around the edges, fists clenched at his side.

Cana had her bangs covering her eyes, but silent tears slipped down her face.

Gildarts had a vein popping out on his head as fat tears slipped down his face, silently swearing to himself he would destroy whoever did this.

Carla was frozen, wide eyed with unacknowledged tears slipped down her face.

Pantherlily was nearly the same, but with his eyes closed and hands covering his mouth to stop the loud sobs. _She always gave me kiwis, _he thought to himself.

Happy, Gajeel, and Laxus all bowed their heads, acknowledging the death of a comrade.

Natsu gently set her down on a cot as Wendy reluctantly began the futile healing. Minutes passed with no improvement… no heartbeat. The wailing and sobbing had quieted down to sniffling here and there, and Wendy had exhausted herself trying to make Natsu happy.

"Natsu", she quietly stated. He looked at her with hopeful eyes that showed a psychotic edge underneath it. If this drove him to near insanity without results of dead or alive… what exactly would this do to him? "I- Lucy Heartfilia has officially died on November 20th, X784 at 5:43 pm. I am sorry to inform you of this, although I proudly admit she died a brave warrior and mage of Fairy Tail."

Natsu completely deflated, the small edge of insanity filled his eyes, his face."She-she can't be dead. She c-couldn't of-"

Mira stepped forward and hugged the pinkette tight. His eyes widened as he finally accepted the death. Bawling already, he shook his head back and forth, as if he was reluctant to admit it.

He raised his head off the snowettes shoulder and keened. A sound akin to a mourning dragon. The sound struck a chord in all the members of Fairy Tail and they started to sob again. Finally accepting what they knew they had to face.

Lucy Heartfilia was dead, and she wasn't coming back.

**Done! Sorry if it ended too suddenly, but it took me a while to write so…**

**I'm sorry it's a bit morbid but hey… I like it. Although, 3,025 words was achieved, a new record for me. Anyway, expect me to update my first story in about… July of next year, on my birthday. Sorry I had to push back the time by six months.**

**Bye minna!**


	2. Part II: The Finale

**Okay then, well. To start of, I love you guys so much for all the positive reviews, and the favorites (and follows).**

**And you have requested a sequel.**

**Well.**

**I was unsure how to proceed, and with me rewriting HTTYC, and writing up 15 or so other fics, I was swamped.**

**But I now have the idea!**

**Hope you don't hate it.**

**And this isn't going to be much of a happy ending, but it ends on a better note than the last chapter.**

**Too Late**

**Part II**

Lucy was scared.

She was undoubtedly, irrevocably, and not too irrationally _frightened_.

Her vision was blurry, and she was getting a pounding migraine in her head that built up by the second.

Not only that, but she was currently being killed, her to-be murderer mocking her- and Natsu too, she realized. But even that small thought was drowned out and forgotten by her increasing pain, Kain's fingers digging and _pushing_ into her skull and- _Gods_, she felt the bone crack under the force of his strength.

She barely heard a loud _roar_ before the blood rushing through her ears was all that she heard, quickly followed by unimaginable pain-

And then nothing.

**TLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTL**

Her eyes cracked open slightly, her surroundings blurry, as if someone smudged a painting and couldn't bother fixing it.

Blinking rapidly, she waited for her vision to clear, and then gasped in surprise, sitting up fast, causing her head to spin briefly, the world tilting in color of green, blue and brown.

Groaning, she clutched her head, lifting it up slowly to gaze at the person in front of her.

A little girl with blonde hair and blue eyes sat in front of her, barefoot, and smiling- at her.

"Um . . ." the Heartfilia began, unsure what to do. She felt too weak to take on another enemy. After all, the last one she faced had killed her.

_Wait._

"Am I dead?" She rushed out, fearfully gripping at the short stalks of grass beneath her.

The girl laughed. "Kind of."

Lucy blinked, waiting for the girl to specify.

"Because you are a member of Fairy Tail, and are on Fairy Tail island, Tenroujima, your soul has not passed on despite your body having done so. Essentially, you are a ghost, like me! However, due to the . . . unique," her mouth twisted into an odd smile."Circumstances of my death, and my body, I am able to be seen, but only by members of Fairy Tail."

The girl raised a hand, cutting off Lucy as she was about to speak.

"You cannot . . . interact with them in the way you wish to, and they cannot see nor sense you, but you can follow them off this island, and maybe give them a bit of a ghostly helping hand, you know, and help them later . . . it's hard to explain, really." She laughed again, settling into a smile afterwards.

Staring, Lucy filed the information away for later. "Uh, who are you . . . exactly?"

"Oh!" She slapped her hands on her cheeks. "Oh my, I'm so sorry! I can be really forgetful sometimes!" She stuck her hand out to Lucy, who shook it hesitantly."My name is Mavis Vermillion, and I was the first Guild Master of Fairy Tail."

Lucy gaped.

Mavis continued on, not seeming to notice Lucy's shock.

"I placed your body near the heart of Tenrou, and you can only truly pass over once your body is buried, but I didn't think that you'd want that, so I kept it preserved." She wrinkled her nose. "Okay, no. Wrong word, but you get it, I bet."

The Celestial Mage nodded dumbly.

A sudden realization washed over the blonde, then.

"What about my keys?"

Mavis blinked slowly.

"Oh, um, they will slowly start to fade with time, and appear in a different part of the world for someone else to find. But you can still summon them, oddly enough, despite the fact that you're dead."

Lucy nodded, the entire _being dead_ thing not having sunk in yet.

"Oh dear," she heard Mavis mumble after a minute of silence.

"What?"

"Oh," Mavis waved airily."A dragon is about to kill everyone on the island, so I have to protect them by putting them in a bubble for who knows how long."

Lucy choked, and Mavis disappeared.

Looking up, she saw the imposing sight of Acnologia, blue and black scales seeming to draw in the light. A veritable black hole of darkness.

And suddenly, all by herself, a dragon looming overhead, and her death- and possibly her friends- crashed down on her.

Letting out a heartbreaking wail, similar to Natsu's- not that she'd ever know- she collapsed to her elbows and knees, sobbing into her dirt-stained hands.

She cried for her friends.

For Natsu, who had to watch her death, and had to continue on with his life, an empty hole to forever be there.

For Happy, who she cared for beyond reason.

For Erza, who may have been strict, but was always there when needed.

For Gray, who was practically her brother in all but blood.

For Wendy, who was so young and so brave and _so_ bright, and she was her little sister of whom she _adored_.

For Carla, who always had Wendy's interests at heart.

For Gajeel, who would never admit he cared, too stubborn to admit his feelings for Levy, and too brash to hold the truth for too long.

For Pantherlily, whose strength and will made up for his size.

For Juvia, who was a dear friend despite the other womans belief as a Love Rival.

For Mira, who was a wonderful role model despite her meddling and her sudden, and dangerous, mood changes.

For Levy, who would always know when Lucy was at her worst.

For Cana, whose drunk habits made her all the more endearing, and her father issues all the more relatable.

For Laxus, who she never got to truly know, but appreciated him, and his redeemable efforts.

For Freed and Bixlow and Evergreen, and their unwavering loyalty.

For Lisanna, who was always so nice, and understanding despite her years missed.

For Elfman, who cared deeply for everyone more than others may know.

For Gildarts, whose loyalty to the guild was staggering, along with his power.

For Makarov, who was a grandfather to her through every step of the way.

She cried for her family. For her Father.

And she cried for herself.

For her short life, her missed opportunities, wishing for a do over, and feeling selfish for crying over herself.

And she continued to weep as the world turned black again.

**TLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTL**

Timeskip: Seven Years

Lucy stood in a corner of the new guild as the members of Fairy Tail came home, none smiling as bright as they would've- as they _should've_.

"Natsu-nii! Natsu-nii!" Romeo screamed, pushing his way to the front of the crowd. "Natsu-nii, you're back!" He hugged the dragonslayer, who responded halfheartedly.

Romeo pulled back, craning his neck around the pink haired mage.

"Um, Natsu-nii . . . where's Lucy-nee?"

Natsu refused to look him in the eyes.

"Natsu-nii?"

The dragonslayer clenched his fists.

"Natsu-nii?"

No response.

"Nat . . . Natsu-nii?"

Romeo began to cry.

"Natsu-nii! Please! Where _is_ she!" He screamed.

The flame mage looked up, revealing the tears streaming down his face.

That was all the confirmation Romeo needed, and he let out a wail-quite like Lucy's, yet they'd never know.

He collapsed.

Lucy, with tears in her eyes, walked over to the boy, kneeling beside him. Hesitantly, she hugged his shaking form.

Romeo gasped, head shooting up, and she stumbled back, shocked.

On shaky legs, he stood up, head lifted high despite his trembling lower lip. "L-Lucy-nee may be go-gone," he began, slowly, but picked up speed as he went along. "But that doesn't mean that she isn't with us! She'll always be in our hearts, and our minds, and in this guild! She will never be forgotten, and I know she's watching us, and she's proud of us! Lucy-nee is proud of us!" He sniffed, letting out a choking sob. "And I wouldn't have it any other way!"

A sudden silence erupted in the guild, only broken by the sobs of Romeo.

Suddenly, Natsu was there, standing in front of the boy, his hand messing up the purple mop even more so than it was.

He was smiling-_genuinely._

And Lucy smiled back, just as bright as Romeo and Natsu, and everyone else who was slowly doing just as they were.

And suddenly she knew, knew that Romeo had felt her, _known_ that she was there.

And she smiled wider, laughing as she joined the group hug that was steadily growing larger.

Romeo was right, she decided. _I may not be there in body, but I will _always _be here in spirit, to guide you all on to happier tomorrows._

_And on to forever._

**The End!**

**For real this time.**

**I really hope I did well, because I did this in an hour and a half (the idea sprung up on me, and couldn't just let it lie!)**

**PLEASE REVIEW! I LIVE ON THEM! THEY GIVE ME THE MOTIVATION TO WRITE FURTHER AND oh do i need it.**

**My inspiration bug hits me at the worst of times (whenever I'm in a place without my computer), and the urge disappears WAY too soon.**

**So the fact I got it while reading you guys' reviews over again is pretty much and indicator that reviews are my new muse.**

**SO PLEASE REVIEW FOR MY POOR SOUL!**

**I love you all, honestly.**

**And yes, I DID change my name, AGAIN.**

**Ta~**

**Aelin**


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